Georgia physician non-compete law
Georgia enforces reasonable physician non-competes.
Georgia treats a reasonable physician non-compete as binding, so assume yours will apply and negotiate the scope down before you sign. Restrictions that tend to stand here run about 30–50 miles and 12–24 months; terms beyond that are the most vulnerable. Narrow the radius to the specific sites where you practiced, shorten the term, and ask for a defined buyout as a release valve.
- Posture
- Enforceable — general reasonableness (no physician carve-out)
- Last reviewed
- 2026-06-10
- Radius that tends to stand
- 30–50 miles
- Term that tends to stand
- 12–24 months
Governing law: O.C.G.A. § 13-8-50 et seq. (Georgia Restrictive Covenants Act)
These are the general rules for Georgia. Your contract's exact radius, term, and buyout decide how it actually lands. See how your own clause compares — free.
Check your contract — free →A case that shaped this
Steuer v. Tomaras (2022, Ga. Statewide Business Court) — Physician non-compete/non-solicit struck down where the restricted-territory exhibit (Exhibit C) was left blank; under the RCA a court may sever/modify but cannot ADD a missing geographic limit.
The detailed picture
Physician non-competes are governed by the general Georgia Restrictive Covenants Act (O.C.G.A. § 13-8-50 et seq., for covenants signed after May 11, 2011); there is NO physician-specific statute, ban, buyout, radius cap, or continuity-of-care rule. By statutory presumption a restraint of 2 years or less is presumed reasonable in time (O.C.G.A. § 13-8-57(b)), territory is measured by where the employer does business (county lists or ~30-50 mile radii have been upheld), and the Act expressly authorizes judicial blue-penciling/modification (O.C.G.A. § 13-8-53(d)) — but courts cannot ADD a missing geographic limit and still strike overbroad \"any capacity\"/blank-territory covenants. The 2024 physician-noncompete ban (HB 1490) died in committee, and although physician-noncompete language resurfaced in a 2025-2026 House Health committee substitute (LC 46 1467S) tied to a rural-hospital package, the 2026 session adjourned sine die (Apr. 3, 2026) with NO standalone physician-noncompete ban or cap enacted. Georgia has NOT followed Texas-style physician caps as of June 2026.
Common questions
Are physician non-competes enforceable in Georgia?
Georgia enforces reasonable physician non-competes. Governing law: O.C.G.A. § 13-8-50 et seq. (Georgia Restrictive Covenants Act).
How far and how long can a Georgia physician non-compete reach?
Restrictions that tend to stand here run about 30–50 miles and 12–24 months; terms beyond that are the most vulnerable. The radius and term in your specific contract decide how it lands — check your own clause.
Other states
General legal information, not legal advice. Non-compete enforceability turns on the exact wording of your contract and your circumstances; this page describes the state's general posture as last reviewed 2026-06-10.